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Renewable Energy Engineering

Entry requirements


A minimum of 2 A Levels required including a relevant STEM subject.

Accepted when studied alongside other Level 3 qualifications

Access to HE Diploma

M:45

Pass in Access course with 60 credits overall including 45 Level 3 credits passed with a minimum of Merit.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

HNC (BTEC)

P-D

HND (BTEC)

P-M

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

29-31

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma

D*D*

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)

D*D*

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*D*

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

in a relevant STEM subject

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

T Level

M

Accepted if T Level is in a STEM subject

UCAS Tariff

112-128

From a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent qualifications such as BTEC Extended Diploma or OCR Extended Diploma, including a relevant STEM subject. For detailed information on accepted qualifications, please view our Course Entry Statement (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/documents/course-entry-requirement-statement.pdf) Solent University is a proud champion of widening participation. For further information about our contextual offer, please visit our website (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/what-next/contextual-offers)

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Energy engineering

The energy sector is a fast-growing industry with enormous potential in the short and long term. From renewable energy generation to the efficient use of energy in engineering systems such as cars, the engineering industry will require engineers with expertise in the environmentally friendly generation, distribution and efficient use of energy. Solent’s renewable energy engineering course will equip you with key engineering skills and knowledge to start your career in this area.

Energy is now a very valuable resource. Shifts in world attitudes to the use of fossil fuels driven by global warming and climate change has meant a change in emphasis to renewable sources of energy. In conjunction, there is a far greater effort to measure the energy efficiency of systems, products and buildings to ensure that operational costs are minimised and both environmental and financial savings are maximised.

Clean power generation is only part of the challenge - the engineering industry is facing an additional challenge to maximise the efficient use of energy whilst reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Government strategy and climate change action have meant that energy is more valued than ever.

This course aims to provide well-trained graduates with the skills and knowledge to work towards addressing these issues. Using a mix of classroom and specialist laboratory facilities, this course will give you a strong grounding in science and engineering theory, with an emphasis on renewable power generation methods, environmental impact, and the efficient use of energy in engineering and technology.

The first year is shared with all of our engineering degrees, giving you the opportunity to develop sound underpinning science and engineering skills in mathematics, mechanics, electrics, manufacturing, CAD and design processes, and professional skills. The second and third years of the course enable you to explore concepts in renewable energy, distribution of energy, and the efficient use of energy in engineering systems. This is complemented by additional work on the lightweight structures used in renewable energy technology and vehicle technology.

Students have full access to our specialist engineering facilities, including a towing tank, composite materials laboratory and materials testing laboratory.

**What does this course lead to?**
Graduates will be well prepared for both STEM, general engineering and renewable engineering industries, and any branch of engineering which includes the efficient use of energy.

**Who is this course for?**
This course will suit those with a strong interest in engineering and environmental science, who wish to pursue a career in the fast-growing renewable energy sector.

Modules

YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Applied Mathematics
CAD and the Design Process
Mechanical Principles
Manufacturing Principles
Introduction to Electronics
Professional Engineering Skills

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
Applied Mathematics for Engineering
Automation and Control
Environment and Environmental Impact Assessment
Wind and Tidal Energy Systems
Solar and Wave Energy Systems
Competition and Contracts in Engineering

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Power Storage and Distribution
Composite and Floating Structures
Eco-Vehicle Technology
Project

YEAR 3 - OPTIONS (Please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Business Strategy
Entrepreneurship

Assessment methods

You will learn by:

Collaborative Learning
Directed Learning
Guided Learning

You may be assessed by a combination of:

Coursework
Practical exams
Written exams

Solent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,125
per year
International
£16,125
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries

The Uni


Course location:

Solent University (Southampton)

Department:

Department of Science and Engineering

Read full university profile

What students say


How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemical, process and energy engineering

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

72%
UK students
28%
International students
83%
Male students
17%
Female students
83%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
D

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Chemical, process and energy engineering

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£23,000
low
Average annual salary
93%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

41%
Engineering professionals
16%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
6%
Other elementary services occupations

Want to make good money from the word go? This is the degree for you! The UK has had a shortage of chemical engineers for a while now so starting salaries are very good. In fact, across the UK, only doctors and dentists bettered the average starting salary for chemical engineering graduates, with an average starting salary of around £28,000. Key sectors for chemical engineers last year included the petrochemicals, food, nuclear, pharmaceuticals, materials and consultancy industries. Their skills set also means that the finance industry likes graduates from these degrees, so there are options if you don't fancy engineering as a career. Most graduates take a longer course that leads to an MEng — which is what you need to take if you want to be a Chartered Engineer. Chemical engineers are also more likely than other engineers to take doctorates and go into research roles, so if you want to take an engineering subject but fancy a research job, this might be a good subject to take.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Chemical, process and energy engineering

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£28k

£28k

£30k

£30k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of East Anglia UEA | Norwich
Energy Engineering
BEng (Hon) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 128-153
Lower entry requirements
Teesside University, Middlesbrough | Middlesbrough
Energy Engineering
BEng (Hon) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 96-112

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here